Mike Fanelli | Mon, May 13th 2024, 7:12am EDT

Predicting High-Scoring Fantasy Football Rookies (2024)

Everyone in the fantasy football world is knee-deep in dynasty rookie drafts. Yet, it’s never too early to prepare for redraft season.

Sometimes, fantasy football rookies end up being league winners. Other times, they end up being a waste of a draft pick. Unfortunately, trying to project fantasy football rookies is easier said than done. However, let’s look at who I think will be the top-scoring fantasy football rookies for every position in half-point PPR scoring.

Fantasy Football Rookies: Predicting Highest Scoring

Here are the fantasy football rookies I expect to be the highest scoring at each position in 2024.

Quarterback

The No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick rarely walks into a situation where he can succeed as a rookie — ask Bryce Young last year or Trevor Lawrence in 2021. However, that isn’t the case for Williams. Chicago has put together an outstanding supporting cast around their top rookie pick. The Bears added DJ Moore last offseason. Furthermore, they signed D’Andre Swift and Gerald Everett in free agency, traded for Keenan Allen and drafted Rome Odunze. Williams has top-five upside, thanks to his supporting cast.

Quarterbacks who can run are worth their weight in gold to fantasy players. Last year, Anthony Richardson nearly averaged 10 fantasy points per game with only his legs despite leaving multiple games early. Daniels is a better runner and a significantly better passer than Richardson. He had over 1,100 rushing yards last season and double-digit rushing scores in back-to-back years at LSU. Meanwhile, Kliff Kingsbury turned Kyler Murray into a fantasy star as a rookie. Don’t be surprised if he does the same with Daniels.

McCarthy might not start Week 1, as Minnesota has Sam Darnold on the roster. However, it won’t be long until the former Michigan star is under center for the Vikings. While Caleb Williams has the best-supporting cast of any rookie, McCarthy is right behind him. Minnesota has two outstanding wide receivers — Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Meanwhile, Aaron Jones is one of the top pass-catching running backs in the NFL. If T.J. Hockenson is ready for Week 1, McCarthy could have top-12 appeal.

Running Back

Reportedly, Brooks will be ready for training camp after tearing his ACL at Texas last season. The former Longhorn was the clear-cut top running back in the draft class for many, including the NFL, as he was the only one drafted before the third round. Landing with the Panthers is perfect for his fantasy value. Chuba Hubbard was decent in 2023, while Miles Sanders was a massive bust. Brooks could be a top-12 running back if he is 100% healthy come Week 1.

Corum had an outstanding 2023 season at Michigan, leading the country in rushing touchdowns (27). However, many will avoid picking him in redraft leagues after he got drafted by the Rams. While Kyren Williams is coming off an outstanding fantasy season, he missed four games because of injury, leading to Los Angeles using a prime draft pick on a running back. While he won’t steal the featured role away from Williams, expect Corum to have a big enough role to be a flex option in 2024.

While the Cardinals are an excellent landing spot for Benson in dynasty, James Conner will remain the starter this upcoming season. However, the veteran running back has missed time because almost every year in the NFL, including four missed games in back-to-back seasons. Benson should have a role as the No. 2 guy when Conner is healthy. More importantly, the rookie would have top-12 upside during the weeks the veteran is on the sidelines.

Wide Receiver

1st – Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR – ARI)
2nd – Malik Nabers (WR – NYG)
3rd – Ladd McConkey (WR – LAC)

The Cardinals were the perfect landing spot for Harrison in redraft and dynasty leagues. Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore left this offseason, leaving Michael Wilson as Kyler Murray’s No. 1 wide receiver. While the team recently added Zay Jones, that won’t stop the former Ohio State star from having over 150 targets as a rookie. Despite losing C.J. Stroud to the NFL, Harrison had back-to-back years with over 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns at Ohio State. He should get drafted as a WR1 in redraft leagues.

Some hate that Nabers landed with the Giants because of their quarterback situation. While Daniel Jones and Drew Lock aren’t elite passers, they can get the rookie the ball. More importantly, New York has limited other options in the passing game. Saquon Barkley left in free agency, while Darren Waller reportedly might retire. The Giants have lacked a No. 1 caliber wide receiver since trading away Odell Beckman Jr. in 2019. Nabers’ catch rate might not be ideal, but he will see enough volume to overcome it.

While Rome Odunze was the third wide receiver picked in the NFL Draft and should be the second or third selected in dynasty rookie drafts, he will be on my do-not-draft list in redraft leagues. Instead, McConkey is someone fantasy players should draft. The Chargers will run the ball a fair amount under Jim Harbaugh. However, they have to pass sometimes. McConkey is the most likely candidate to adsorb a massive chunk of the 150 targets Keenan Allen left behind from last year’s team.

Tight End

Sinnott had several fans in the fantasy football industry leading up to the NFL Draft. Yet, some were surprised when he was the second tight end drafted. The former Kansas State star had a solid final college season, totaling 49 receptions for 676 receiving yards and six touchdowns. More importantly, he landed with the Commanders, whose only other meaningful tight end on the roster is Zach Ertz. Washington’s passing attack should be much improved with Jayden Daniels, making Sinnott a sneaky candidate to be a TE1 in 2024.

While Bowers is the clear-cut TE1 in dynasty rookie drafts after an outstanding college career at Georgia, landing with the Raiders hurt his fantasy value for this upcoming season. Las Vegas has one of the worst quarterback situations in the NFL. Furthermore, they spent an early second-round pick on Michael Mayer last year. More importantly, Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers combined for 281 targets in 2023. Fantasy players will struggle to trust Bowers in their lineups this season, as his weekly target share will be inconsistent.

Many thought Sanders would be an early Day 2 pick. Instead, the former Longhorn made it to the start of the fourth round. However, he landed in an excellent spot for his fantasy value. The Panthers haven’t had a difference-maker at tight end since Greg Olsen left. Furthermore, Diontae Johnson is the only pass-catcher on the roster guaranteed to see more targets than Sanders. He has the yards-after-the-catch talent to become a go-to target for Bryce Young.

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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.

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